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This was a fun read. Uneven at times, but not enough to impede enjoyment of the story. Ana was great, and I loved how she was unafraid and just went head first at everything. Di was okay, but not sure he really connected as a character, but we'll see in book two. I also really liked the relationship between Robb and Jax. They were probably my favorite two to read interacting with each other. I look forward to the sequel, and hope it expands more on the rest of the cast (especially the crew of the Dossier). Probably my biggest issue was not knowing enough to truly care about them as I hoped I would.
I received a digital copy free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is a very interesting tale about a young woman named Eelyn, who is a member the Aska tribe. She has been raised by her father to be a warrior, one whom has lost her mother and brother to other tribes. Her brother to the Riki, a rival clan they are always at odds with, and her mother was lost to the Herja, a legendary clan that even the Riki don’t know exists. While fighting one day and about to be killed, her brother appears and stops the Riki man from killing her. This shatters her world, so during the next battle she chases after her brother and winds up in the hands of the Riki. After she is captured by the Riki and purchased as a dyr (basically an indentured servant) instead of killed, she simultaneously wants to escape and also figure out why her brother, Iri, has joined the side of the Riki.
The way the book began, I thought it would focus more on the battles than what the story actually is. While the battles are a lot of fun, I am glad the book took the turn it did. The meat of this story is of a young woman learning to understand there is more to the world than she has been taught. Her time spent with Fiske’s (the Riki that saved Iri’s life) family is one of struggle. She is angry and ashamed, wants to escape or die instead of being dishonored. Yet as she fights within herself, she realizes the Riki have much in common with her own tribe. When the Herja arrive and the only way to survive is through unification of the two tribes, Eelyn takes on a much larger task that she wonders if she can handle it.
Eelyn was an amazing protagonist. She had this fire within her that helps the reader connect with the character in a way that isn’t present with many books. No matter the emotion she felt throughout the book, it was projected with ease on to me as the reader. As I read the words, I could feel her fear, her anger, her happiness, and so forth. The look on my face probably mimicked hers through much of it, I can’t lie. I left this novel thinking back through the story and examining how her changes, large and small kept occurring.
The cast that surrounds Eelyn is equally as good. Iri is the loving brother who has found a new family, but had never forgotten his original, and helps keep Eelyn alive with capture. His new brother, Fiske, had me initially stereotyping him as a very angry and rough viking, but quickly realized he was much more compassionate than he originally appears. And while I loved Iri, Fiske, Inge, Myra and Eelyn’s father, I’d have to say the stand out for me was Halvard. He plays such a key role in breaking down Eelyn’s walls she had built, and helps push her in the right direction with her search for understanding. He was such a darling boy, that every time he would exude his joy around Eelyn I kept having the biggest grin on my face.
When it came down to the battles and violence that comes from the conflicts between the various tribes, Young is not afraid to write the gruesome details. You feel and picture the action as it is happening as she writes them with much fluidity. She also has a way of writing that helps the emotions emanate from the pages. During the second half of this book, I found myself wiping tears away from my eyes plenty. Some were of joy and some of sadness. I haven’t had a book do that to me in a good while, where the tears welling up were a mixture of different emotions because I didn’t have time to wipe away the first feeling before the next took over. I have to congratulate the author on that feat, because it was an amazing feeling.
Those looking for battles and violence with Sky in the Deep will surely find it, but maybe not as much as they hope, especially during the first half of the book. It is more a book about how Eelyn grows to see the world from a narrow viewpoint to a larger understanding of everything and everyone around her. She takes what she has learned and utilizes that to spread it to others. By the time the last page is finished, I leaned back in my couch satisfied and happy I was able to accompany Eelyn on this journey. I recommend this book highly, and as I finish this review I can still feel some liquid in my tear ducts trying to escape.
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young is a very interesting tale about a young woman named Eelyn, who is a member the Aska tribe. She has been raised by her father to be a warrior, one whom has lost her mother and brother to other tribes. Her brother to the Riki, a rival clan they are always at odds with, and her mother was lost to the Herja, a legendary clan that even the Riki don’t know exists. While fighting one day and about to be killed, her brother appears and stops the Riki man from killing her. This shatters her world, so during the next battle she chases after her brother and winds up in the hands of the Riki. After she is captured by the Riki and purchased as a dyr (basically an indentured servant) instead of killed, she simultaneously wants to escape and also figure out why her brother, Iri, has joined the side of the Riki.
The way the book began, I thought it would focus more on the battles than what the story actually is. While the battles are a lot of fun, I am glad the book took the turn it did. The meat of this story is of a young woman learning to understand there is more to the world than she has been taught. Her time spent with Fiske’s (the Riki that saved Iri’s life) family is one of struggle. She is angry and ashamed, wants to escape or die instead of being dishonored. Yet as she fights within herself, she realizes the Riki have much in common with her own tribe. When the Herja arrive and the only way to survive is through unification of the two tribes, Eelyn takes on a much larger task that she wonders if she can handle it.
Eelyn was an amazing protagonist. She had this fire within her that helps the reader connect with the character in a way that isn’t present with many books. No matter the emotion she felt throughout the book, it was projected with ease on to me as the reader. As I read the words, I could feel her fear, her anger, her happiness, and so forth. The look on my face probably mimicked hers through much of it, I can’t lie. I left this novel thinking back through the story and examining how her changes, large and small kept occurring.
The cast that surrounds Eelyn is equally as good. Iri is the loving brother who has found a new family, but had never forgotten his original, and helps keep Eelyn alive with capture. His new brother, Fiske, had me initially stereotyping him as a very angry and rough viking, but quickly realized he was much more compassionate than he originally appears. And while I loved Iri, Fiske, Inge, Myra and Eelyn’s father, I’d have to say the stand out for me was Halvard. He plays such a key role in breaking down Eelyn’s walls she had built, and helps push her in the right direction with her search for understanding. He was such a darling boy, that every time he would exude his joy around Eelyn I kept having the biggest grin on my face.
When it came down to the battles and violence that comes from the conflicts between the various tribes, Young is not afraid to write the gruesome details. You feel and picture the action as it is happening as she writes them with much fluidity. She also has a way of writing that helps the emotions emanate from the pages. During the second half of this book, I found myself wiping tears away from my eyes plenty. Some were of joy and some of sadness. I haven’t had a book do that to me in a good while, where the tears welling up were a mixture of different emotions because I didn’t have time to wipe away the first feeling before the next took over. I have to congratulate the author on that feat, because it was an amazing feeling.
Those looking for battles and violence with Sky in the Deep will surely find it, but maybe not as much as they hope, especially during the first half of the book. It is more a book about how Eelyn grows to see the world from a narrow viewpoint to a larger understanding of everything and everyone around her. She takes what she has learned and utilizes that to spread it to others. By the time the last page is finished, I leaned back in my couch satisfied and happy I was able to accompany Eelyn on this journey. I recommend this book highly, and as I finish this review I can still feel some liquid in my tear ducts trying to escape.
As I finished this book, I realized I have a lot of mixed feelings. It had such a great build up for the Cinderella story, and the writing itself is beautiful. Ash is a character I could get behind and root for, and the step-mother was definitely an angry, wicked woman. She was written so well, I truly could not stand that woman and wished her to meet an unfortunate accident.
Sidhean was an interesting character, and I liked how he was connected with Ash through her mother. I just felt like the story line with her debt to him was built up a lot, with out much finish. It was the same with Kaisa, as the romantic story builds it felt rushed. Overall a beautifully written book that kind of just quickly wraps up after some thorough constructing of Ash's story and her struggle with her step-family. It just needed to spend more time with Sidhean and Kaisa, and left me as the reader disappointed in that regard.
Sidhean was an interesting character, and I liked how he was connected with Ash through her mother. I just felt like the story line with her debt to him was built up a lot, with out much finish. It was the same with Kaisa, as the romantic story builds it felt rushed. Overall a beautifully written book that kind of just quickly wraps up after some thorough constructing of Ash's story and her struggle with her step-family. It just needed to spend more time with Sidhean and Kaisa, and left me as the reader disappointed in that regard.
Daughter of the Siren Queen is such a perfect way to follow up Daughter of the Pirate King, which was one of my favorite releases of 2017. After the events of the first book, Alosa is back and finally gets the third map needed to capture the treasure of the sirens’ that her father is searching for. After procuring the map she learns more about her father and his control over her. Finding her mother captive helps solidify her doubts, and she is in a race away from her father.
While I really enjoyed Alosa in the first book, I felt like this book was a much better look out whom she truly is. We get to witness not just traditional siren powers, but more of the beast that lurks within her. We get to watch as she fears the siren side, and tries to figure out what is needed to truly control it. She enlists the help of Riden, the young pirate she took prisoner and whom is now a full member of her crew.
It isn’t just Alosa we get to learn more about, as the reader gets to truly meet and enjoy the crew surrounding Alosa on her ship. It was nice to finally really get to know those that Alosa has trusted to sail with her. It makes it much more of an emotional event when tragedy strikes than just another pirate being killed. Also Roslyn might be the most adorable pirate to ever sail the seas.
I know the first book had pirate action, but it was mostly about Alosa’s infiltration efforts aboard another ship. This book ramps up the action, and it is wonderful. At times Young Adult pirate books can sometimes lose focus of this aspect and focus a bit much on the characters and relationships. Thankfully Levenseller delivers without sacrificing the relationships among the characters.
In the end, I closed this book with a huge grin on my face. I had such a run ride along side Alosa, Riden and the crew. For anyone who enjoyed the first book, Siren Queen is sure to please. If you were left wanting more pirating after the first book, I recommend giving the sequel a try as you will find those wants fulfilled. I think all that is left that I could wish for from this series is short stories about many characters backgrounds and Alosa’s parents’ relationship prior to her being born. I would love any excuse to keep delving back in to this wonderful world.
While I really enjoyed Alosa in the first book, I felt like this book was a much better look out whom she truly is. We get to witness not just traditional siren powers, but more of the beast that lurks within her. We get to watch as she fears the siren side, and tries to figure out what is needed to truly control it. She enlists the help of Riden, the young pirate she took prisoner and whom is now a full member of her crew.
It isn’t just Alosa we get to learn more about, as the reader gets to truly meet and enjoy the crew surrounding Alosa on her ship. It was nice to finally really get to know those that Alosa has trusted to sail with her. It makes it much more of an emotional event when tragedy strikes than just another pirate being killed. Also Roslyn might be the most adorable pirate to ever sail the seas.
I know the first book had pirate action, but it was mostly about Alosa’s infiltration efforts aboard another ship. This book ramps up the action, and it is wonderful. At times Young Adult pirate books can sometimes lose focus of this aspect and focus a bit much on the characters and relationships. Thankfully Levenseller delivers without sacrificing the relationships among the characters.
In the end, I closed this book with a huge grin on my face. I had such a run ride along side Alosa, Riden and the crew. For anyone who enjoyed the first book, Siren Queen is sure to please. If you were left wanting more pirating after the first book, I recommend giving the sequel a try as you will find those wants fulfilled. I think all that is left that I could wish for from this series is short stories about many characters backgrounds and Alosa’s parents’ relationship prior to her being born. I would love any excuse to keep delving back in to this wonderful world.
Love, Hate, & Other Filters is another book that touches upon the generational gap between immigrant parents and their 1st generation born children born in the US. I've managed to read a handful of these books over the past year. This was a great one as it also touched upon a reality in our country with Islamophobia, and another issue with our country lately (won't be specific asto not spoil the book).
The book is definitely focused on the romance and Maya's journey to learning to push for what she wants, and not what others want for her. I've heard complaints about insta-love, but lets stop acting like that isn't a thing that happens to plenty of teenagers in high school. I also don't feel like that's appropriate since she was attracted to Phil before the book even began based on conversations early on. I just think the term is too easily tossed around and abused.
Overall a really good contemporary YA coming of age story about a young Indian Muslim girl struggling to be herself while dealing with parents who become even more overprotective following tragedy. Maya just felt like a genuine character, and was great with her quick wit that leads to a lot of funny moments and conversations. I definitely recommend this one. 4 out of 5
The book is definitely focused on the romance and Maya's journey to learning to push for what she wants, and not what others want for her. I've heard complaints about insta-love, but lets stop acting like that isn't a thing that happens to plenty of teenagers in high school. I also don't feel like that's appropriate since she was attracted to Phil before the book even began based on conversations early on. I just think the term is too easily tossed around and abused.
Overall a really good contemporary YA coming of age story about a young Indian Muslim girl struggling to be herself while dealing with parents who become even more overprotective following tragedy. Maya just felt like a genuine character, and was great with her quick wit that leads to a lot of funny moments and conversations. I definitely recommend this one. 4 out of 5
I won an ARC via a Goodreads giveaway
This was a very cute graphic novel. It is easy to read this and think back on past friendships and reflect on how they changed, began, and sometimes ended. Watching Bina go through this definitely took me back. The color scheme for this GN was great too. I loved the use of the various shades of orange, and it truly set the atmosphere for summer vacation. This graphic novel won't wow you, but it will leave you with a smile on your face. It was just what I needed after a DNF book.
This was a very cute graphic novel. It is easy to read this and think back on past friendships and reflect on how they changed, began, and sometimes ended. Watching Bina go through this definitely took me back. The color scheme for this GN was great too. I loved the use of the various shades of orange, and it truly set the atmosphere for summer vacation. This graphic novel won't wow you, but it will leave you with a smile on your face. It was just what I needed after a DNF book.
I never did write a review for my site, so might as well say something here. Everyone knows the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover.", and this book fits that exact description. I assumed I was in for a book about sisters (Od and Tru) fighting monsters, when it actual comes down to something completely different. Tru is physically handicapped after battling polio at a very young age and looks up to her older sister Od, who tells her imaginative stories about their parents.
After Od leaves when she is 17 and suddenly shows back up in Tru's life 2 years later, Od fills Tru full of imaginative stories once again, but of her current travels. Tru is skeptical, but Od is very insistent. The entire time Tru knows something is up, and as the story progresses we learn the truth behind Od's stories and what really happened. It is an interesting look at mental health and how trauma will cause one to not just gloss over details, but change everything entirely to try and push the reality away.
So I went in to the book thinking it was two sisters fighting actual monsters, when really it is two sisters fighting very different monsters and both eventually working to help Od come to terms with the trauma she has dealt with. It has times in which you will smile or laugh, and times you will feel the characters' pains or even tear up. The story isn't perfect, but it was a very unique read in my opinion.
After Od leaves when she is 17 and suddenly shows back up in Tru's life 2 years later, Od fills Tru full of imaginative stories once again, but of her current travels. Tru is skeptical, but Od is very insistent. The entire time Tru knows something is up, and as the story progresses we learn the truth behind Od's stories and what really happened. It is an interesting look at mental health and how trauma will cause one to not just gloss over details, but change everything entirely to try and push the reality away.
So I went in to the book thinking it was two sisters fighting actual monsters, when really it is two sisters fighting very different monsters and both eventually working to help Od come to terms with the trauma she has dealt with. It has times in which you will smile or laugh, and times you will feel the characters' pains or even tear up. The story isn't perfect, but it was a very unique read in my opinion.
I'm going to be honest here, and say I was disappointed. The beginning of the book was intriguing and the ending section was where I finally found my enjoyment, but the middle was flat out boring. It felt like a bunch of filler to pad out the story to its final page count. The main character didn't really connect to me until the end, and I just felt he was a cookie cutter nerd protagonist. If anything, the other 3 major players working alongside him were infinitely more interesting and would have made better protagonists.
I would recommend this book to any fellow geek or 80s nerd, if just because I believe the novel is very YMMV. Worth reading, but I felt bored for a good long portion of it.
I would recommend this book to any fellow geek or 80s nerd, if just because I believe the novel is very YMMV. Worth reading, but I felt bored for a good long portion of it.
I was sucked right in to this book. Alina is a new favorite protagonist for me. She made me sympathize with her, fear for her, and by the end root for her. The book ended and I was panicking because I haven't yet ordered book 2 to continue Alina's story. I NEED to continue this series, not just want. Leigh's writing captured my attention 100% and never let go, so I guess it is time to order the rest of the Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows duology
I tried to enjoy this book as much as I loved Shadow and Bone, but it never really hooked me. It felt like it lacked a consistent pace, and sometimes lurched ahead without warning. Situations came and went so fast, I felt like content had been cut that would have explained or had it play out better. It wasn't all bad as Nikolai is a wonderful character, and I really enjoyed any conversation he was a part of. Tamar and Tolya were two other stand out characters this time around. I'm hoping Ruin and Rising can recapture the magic from the 1st book. 3 out of 5.